No one was telling Clare Shea anything, and that meant she knew something was going on.

"My parents were acting all sketchy, and I think I asked my mom to go somewhere and she said I couldn’t go," said Shea, a senior at Northern Highlands. "But they and [Highlanders soccer coach Tara] Madigan knew."

What Madigan and the Sheas knew was that the National Soccer Coaches Association of America had named Clare its girls player of the year. Shea couldn’t leave the house because she was about to get the phone call from the national chair of the organization with the news.

"I kind of didn’t believe it then either, because his name was John Mayer, so I was sure I was getting pranked," said Clare.

It is true. Clare was recognized after a senior season in which she scored a team-high 17 goals and had six assists, giving her 80 goals and 23 assists in her career.

Shea was also a part of a team that won three straight league, Bergen County and Group 3 championships. They have not lost a game in that time.

"I never would have imagined winning something like this," said Clare. "Even now, it’s pretty unbelievable being the one person in the nation chosen, because there are so many talented players. I kind of don’t know what made me stand out for them."

"Clare was the type of player who made everyone around her better," said Madigan, who was named the Regional Coach of the Year by the national association. "She made me a better coach, and she deserves every kind of award and recognition she gets."

Clare and Madigan will be honored at an All-America luncheon on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Clare has committed to West Point to continue her soccer career, and even though the calendar says winter, she still is training with her club team ... and learning to trust her parents when they tell her she needs to stay home.

"It still kind of hasn’t hit me," said Clare. "When people say [I’m national player of the year], I’m still like, ‘What?’ "

ST. JOE’S HEADS OUT: First-year St. Joseph football coach Augie Hoffmann announced the Green Knights’ 2014 schedule last week. In a way, he also announced the team’s 2015 schedule.

"2015 will be a mirror image, just flipping home and away," said Hoffmann, "but if anybody wants to talk to us about 2016, we will listen."

The Green Knights, North Jersey’s No. 1 team each of the last two seasons, will make their first trip to Ohio this year to face St. Edwards for their second game. They will open their season in Maryland against McDonough High School. The offensive line coach for McDonough, Spencer Folau, played with Hoffmann, when both were with the New Orleans Saints.

The Green Knights’ other out-of-state opponent is in the season’s fourth week, when they host St. Joe’s of Philadelphia.

"It wasn’t so hard to put together," said Hoffmann. "We had a lot of different options; it just had to be the right fit. We think it’s a challenging schedule and we are excited about it."

The Green Knights are the first of the Big Five non-public schools to finalize their 2014 football schedule.

O’CONNOR UPDATE: Wayne Valley posted the opening for a head football coach Monday, and Brian O’Connor said he will apply.

"I will do what I have to do," said O’Connor. "Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail and they will see that I am the most qualified person for the position."

O’Connor has been the Indians’ football coach for the past 13 years, but said he was told in a December meeting with Wayne superintendent Dr. Ray Gonzalez and athletic director Mike Miello that he was not recommended to continue in the post. He said he has job offers, but prefers to stay in Wayne. The Indians were 4-6 in 2013.

QUICK HITS: Dumont AD Nic Nese is leaving the school for the same position at Passaic Tech. Nese will start March 1. ... River Dell will host the first talk of its annual free football clinic series Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the upstairs wing. Pascack Valley assistant coach Jim Cleary will speak about outside linebacker play in the 3-4 defense. ... Bergen County director of parks Ron Kistner will host a football championship luncheon Thursday at the administration building in Hackensack honoring Bergen County state champs, Paramus Catholic, Pascack Valley, St. Joseph and Westwood.